Adaptable ultra-narrowband software defined radio device, system, and method

ABSTRACT

Devices, systems, and methods are described herein for communicating data using an adjustable software defined radio. In one aspect, an ultra-narrowband communication device may include a radio frequency (RF) element and a computing element communicatively coupled to the RF element. The computing element, which may include at least one processor and memory, may define a software defined radio. The memory of the computing element may store instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, configure the communication device to at least one of transmit or receive data over at least two different ultra-narrowband channels using a first communication protocol. The software defined radio may be adjustable to operate at any of a variety of different ultra-narrowband channels responsive to a frequency band selection or allocation.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/380,765, filed on Dec. 15, 2016, entitled “ADAPTABLE ULTRA-NARROWBANDSOFTWARE DEFINED RADIO DEVICE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD,” which claims thebenefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/269,519, filed on Dec. 18,2015, entitled “ADAPTABLE ULTRA-NARROWBAND SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIODEVICE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD,” the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated herein in its entirety.

COPYRIGHT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains or maycontain material subject to copyright protection. The copyright ownerhas no objection to the photocopy reproduction of the patent document orthe patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent andTrademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves allcopyright rights.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

This disclosure relates generally to communication devices and systems,and more specifically to using software defined radios to communicatewith each other over available spectrum, for example, using adjustableultra-narrowband channels.

BACKGROUND

Various communication technologies in different spectrums and regions ofspectrum continue to face obstacles. Given that radio spectrum isfinite, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has in the past andcontinues to encourage the development and use of technology that makesefficient use of the radio spectrum. To this end, the FCC allocated aregion of the radio spectrum from 220-222 MHz for, at least in part, thepurpose of spurring the development and acceptance of new narrowbandtechnologies. The 220-222 MHz range allocated by the FCC is divided upinto 400 5 kHz-wide frequency ranges paired to provide 200 channels,such channels known as ultra-narrowband channels.

Some radio technologies implemented Amplitude Compandored SingleSideband (ACSB) signal processing systems/modulation to try andaccommodate communication of data over these ultra-narrowband channels(5 KHz) within the 220-222 MHZ range, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,250,titled SINGLE SIDEBAND RADIO SIGNAL PROCESSING SYSTEM, which issued Jun.22, 1993. However, these radios were not widely used due to limitedapplications and the cost of dedicated hardware to enable these radiosto operate via ultra-narrowbands and in the 220-222 MHz space.Typically, there was a need for specialty components and filters foreach different band of intended use, limiting the application andpracticality of this type of approach.

Traditional radios were able to transmit and receive radio signalsacross a short band. For example, the frequency span of a standard FMradio used to transmit or receive commercial FM music stations rangesfrom 88 Mhz to 109 Mhz. Frequencies outside this range could not betransmitted or received by frequencies that reside outside thisidentified spectrum making their use limited to that band. Additionally,traditional radios only support predetermined modulation schemes. In theexample above, Frequency Modulation or FM was used to encode and decodethe information over the radio waves.

In addition, other allocated frequency bands included stop bands inbetween usable bands of various sizes. Some technologies attempted touse these stop bands for communication, but due to the limited size ofsome of these stop bands, and the relative large amount of bandwidthrequired for various communications, some stop bands have yet to beeffectively utilized.

Narrowband is currently defined as having an operational bandwidth ofless than 6.25 Khz. Ultra-narrowband is currently defined as havingbandwidth of less than 5 Khz. Typically, commercial usage has mostlybeen confined to the narrowband spectrums which the FCC has madeprevalent in the land mobile radio and push to talk consumer radiospaces. While 6.25 Khz is common place, 5 Khz band requirementstypically existed on only select bands such as the 220-222 Mhz spectrum.Ultra-narrowband was the FCC's attempt to conserve spectrum though theutilization of small bandwidths over identified spectrum. Requirementswere not translated to other spectrum leaving the 220-222 Mhz spectrumas the only one requiring ultra-narrowband operation.

The FCC and other spectrum governing bodies might someday changeregulations to increase the use of available spectrum. Changes such asthese typically require slow implementation cycles where customers oroften subjected to undue financial strain by having to, for example,repeatedly purchase new radios or equipment to be compliant withrequired changes.

As a result, improvements can be made to communication technology tobetter utilize available spectrum.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME ASPECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE

The applicants believe that they have discovered at least one or more ofthe problems and issues with systems and methods noted above, as well asadvantages variously provided by differing embodiments of the adaptableultra-narrowband software defined radio disclosed in this specification.Illustrative examples of the disclosure include, without limitation,methods, systems, and various devices. In one aspect, anultra-narrowband communication device may include a radio frequency (RF)element and a computing element communicatively coupled to the RFelement. The computing element, which may include at least one processorand memory, may define a software defined radio. The memory of thecomputing element may store instructions, that when executed by the atleast one processor, configure the communication device to at least oneof transmit or receive data over at least two different ultra-narrowbandchannels using a first communication protocol. In some embodiments, thesoftware defined radio is adjustable to operate at any of a variety ofdifferent ultra-narrowband channels responsive to a frequency bandselection or allocation.

In another aspect, a narrowband or ultra-narrowband communicationsystem, may include a narrowband or ultra-narrowband communicationdevice. The narrowband or ultra-narrowband communication device may beconfigured to selectively communicate at least one data packet over afirst narrowband channel or a first ultra-narrowband channel. Thecommunication system may further include at least one repeater device.The repeater device may be configured to receive the at least one datapacket and re-transmit the at least one data packet to a secondcommunication device over one or more of the first narrowband channel,the first ultra-narrowband channel, a second narrowband channel, or asecond ultra-narrowband channel.

In another aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may includeinstructions, that when executed by a processor of a communicationdevice, cause the communication device to perform various operations.Those operations may include obtaining at least one channel allocationfor communicating data. The operations may further include adjusting asoftware defined radio of the communication device to communicate overat least one channel corresponding to the at least one channelallocation. The operations may additionally include transmitting dataover the at least one channel via the adjusted software defined radio.

The adjustable frequency band, software defined radio may provide anumber of benefits, advantages, or both over existing technology. Thesoftware defined radio provides a hardware platform from which softwarecan be loaded and changed over time to support changing needs inspectrum bandwidth and modulation. For example, the described softwaredefined radio can, in some instances, be utilized from 70 Mhz to 6 Ghz,enabling access and transmission of information across several availablebands. The software defined radio is adaptable in that with moreprogramming, it may become more sophisticated over time as users addprogramming applications and specific tasking functions. Due to thiscapability, the software defined radio is capable of growing withcustomer demands and needs across many bands of interest.

In some cases, the adjustable software defined radio may enable betterdata communication in areas where other wireless technologies networksare unavailable, and may enable utilization of the 220-222 MHZ spectrumthat has been under utilized due, at least in part, to a lack ofsupporting technology and high barriers to entry, such as, for example,high cost and the inflexibility of dedicated hardware. Theimplementation of adjustable software defined radios, repeater devices,or both may provide a fully functioning and integratable communicationsystem that may provide communication capabilities in areas notsupported or under-supported by other communication technologies. Thesoftware defined radio may support multiple channel configurations thatallow for cross (radio) network communications with support for avariety of data to be communicated, including, voice, text, or data withtrunking information, among others. An example of cross (radio) networkcommunication may include connecting a 900 Mhz PTT network to a 220-222Mhz PTT network for expanded communications during natural disasters.

The communication device and system described herein may address thelack of manufactured radios and repeating systems for the 220-222 MhzACSB network, may address a need for a configurable radio platform thatcan be programmed via software to meet the users spectrum and poweroutput needs, or both. In some aspects, the described device and systemmay utilize ACSB modulation, for example, described in detail in U.S.Pat. No. 5,222,250, the contents of which are herein incorporated byreference. However, the software defined radio may improve upon theultra-narrowband system described in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,250 patentby eliminating the need for specialty components and filters for eachdifferent band of intended use, via the integration of the softwaredefined radio disclosed herein. This design allows the radio to bereconfigured via software, creating versatility relating to whichspectrum it operates in. For example, a single adjustable softwaredefined radio communication device may allow all bands to be monitoredand communicated over between 70 M1-1 z-6 GHz. The software definedradio may be hosted by a full operating system, which may enable remoteadministration and communications backhaul over the internet, forexample, with enhanced configurable security options. This can improvethe operation and robustness of the communication devices, as well asenhance the longevity and return on investment of the device and system.

It is to be understood that the foregoing is only a brief summary ofsome aspects of the present disclosure, but neither the Background northis brief summary are intended to be limiting. The presentspecification discloses many other novel features, problem solutions,and advantages; and they will become apparent as this specificationproceeds. In this regard, the scope of an issued claim based on thisspecification is to be determined by the claim as issued and not bywhether it addresses an issue set forth in the above Background orincludes a feature problem solution, or advantage recited in this briefsummary.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the presentdisclosure may be realized by reference to the following drawings. Inthe appended figures, similar components or features may have the samereference label. Further, various components of the same type may bedistinguished by following the reference label by lowercase lettersecond reference label that distinguishes among the similar components.If only the first reference label is used in the specification, thedescription is applicable to any one of the similar components havingthe same first reference label irrespective of the second referencelabel. Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described morefully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example communications device includinga software defined radio;

FIG. 2A is a block diagram of another example of a communication deviceimplementing a software defined radio;

FIGS. 2B and 2C are examples of software defined radios that may beutilized by the communication device of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a software architecture that may beimplemented by the communication device of FIG. 2A, the software definedradios of FIGS. 2B, and 2C, or both;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of an example system including the communicationdevice of FIG. 2A in communication with other devices;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example process by which information isprocessed and converted from digital information to radio transmissionsby the communication device of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 6A-6C is a diagram of an example frequency spectrum in which thecommunication device of FIG. 2A may operate;

FIG. 7A-7I are diagrams of example network configurations in which thecommunication device of FIG. 2 may operate;

FIGS. 8-9 are flow diagrams of example processes for communicating datausing an adjustable software defined radio;

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of an example process for routing data usingultra-narrowband channels and a second communication protocol; and

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of an example process for routing data in acommunication network.

While the embodiments described herein are susceptible to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have beenshown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detailherein. However, the exemplary embodiments described herein are notintended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, theinstant disclosure covers all modifications, equivalents, andalternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED AND OTHER EMBODIMENTS

Systems and techniques are described herein for communicating overfrequency bands, such as ultra-narrowband channels, using a softwaredefined radio that is configured to change the frequency, the bandwidth,or both, of the one or more channels used based on one or more factors.In one aspect, a communication device may include a software definedradio, for example, implemented by a computing device, that mayinterface with one or more radio frequency (RF) elements or componentsto communicate over a plurality of selectable or adjustable frequencychannels, such as ultra-narrowband frequency channels, in a wide rangeof frequency spectrum. In one implementation, the software definedradio/communication device may be configured to operate within the200-220 MHz frequency range, and in other implementations, the softwaredefined radio may be configured to operate on a much larger range, suchas 70 MHz to 1.4 GHz, or even 70 MHz to 6 GHz or 70 MHz to 8 GHz. Insome examples, the communication device may utilize AmplitudeCompandored Single Sideband (ACSB) processing/modulation, or at least becompatible with ACSB modulation, to efficiently communicate data inultra-narrowband channels. In other examples, the communication devicemay utilize other modulation schemes for communication of data.

In some aspects, the communication device, which may herein be referredto as an adjustable software defined radio or software defined radio,may include components to communicate via a second communication link orprotocol, such as over the internet, or utilizing any of a variety ofavailable wired or wireless communication technologies, such as 3G, LTE,WiFi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, UWB, etc.

In some aspects, the adjustable software defined radio, may connect to asecond nearby device, such as a smart phone, tablet, or other computingdevice, vehicle computing system and so on. The second communicationdevice may interface with the adjustable software defined radio andprovide, for example, a user interface to enable configuration of theadjustable software defined radio. In some cases, the secondcommunication device may provide other network or communicationcapabilities, such as communicating data, for example, on behalf of theadjustable software defined radio, to other devices that may be out ofrange of the adjustable software defined radio via radio communication,to link up a larger network.

In some aspects, the adjustable software defined radio may beimplemented as a repeater device, which is configured to receive andretransmit data to another repeater device or a recipient device, forexample, when the adjustable software defined radio is outside ofcommunication range of an intended recipient device. In some cases,multiple repeater devices may be utilized to implement a mesh or hybridmesh network. In yet some other cases, multiple repeater devices mayadditionally communicate with each other via the internet to create alarger network.

In one example, the adjustable software defined radio or repeater devicemay be configured to receive data from legacy devices, such as existingultra-narrowband enabled devices, to reroute the data through a repeaterenabled network to improve the performance of the existing system,devices, or both.

Referring now to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, communication device 100utilizes a software defined radio. The communication device 100 mayinclude a computing element 105, an RF element 110, an optionalamplifier 115 (dashed lines as used throughout this disclosure indicateoptional, and not required components, process steps, etc.), and one ormore antennas 120. The computing element may host a software definedradio, that may interface with the RF element 110, to provide variousfunctions for sending and receiving data via antennas 120, amplifier115, or both. The computing element may include one or more hardwaredevices (microprocessors, Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), DigitalSignal Processors (DSP) and other computing/logic devices) that hostoperating software, which implements the software defined radio. Theoperating software may handle all timing, synchronization, andadjustments to the radio's spectrum, modulation, and power output, forexample. Operational software within the computing element 105 maysample and digitize the incoming data, and modulate that data on theselected carrier in software. The resulting data may be converted backto an analog waveform for transmission by the RF element 110.

The software defined radio may configure various aspects of data to betransmitted and data received by the communication device 100, such asperforming frequency selection, modulation, companding, filtering,amplification (e.g., in some cases in combination with amplifier 115),via programmable logic. As used herein, a software defined radioimplements various functionality similar to that previously provided viahardware components, such as mixers, filters, amplifiers,modulators/demodulators, detectors, etc., through software or executableinstructions and/or embedded systems. A primary advantage of using asoftware defined radio is that data may be communicated over selectableor adjustable spectrum and bandwidth, without requiring changes inhardware. The software defined radio may interface with the RF element110 to condition data for communication over various spectrum and havingdifferent bandwidths.

In one example, the computing element 105 may process commands anddefine the characteristics of the RF waveform. The computing element 105may contain an operating system and may interface to external media suchas USB. The computing element 105 (e.g., the software defined radiohosted by the computing element 105) may send the data and instructionsfor sending data to the RF element 110 at operation 125. In some cases,the instructions may include specific frequency information concerningwhich channel or channels to use for transmitting the data, and/orbandwidth information of the channel or channels. The instructions mayalso include encoding information, modulation information, and otherinformation required for the transmission of data, for example,according to a selected encoding or modulation scheme.

Upon receiving the instructions at 125, the RF element 110 may processthe instructions and translate the data from the computing element 105into radio transmissions (generating the RF waveform). This may includeperforming duplexing operations, digital to analogue conversions, and soon, as is known to those of skill in the art. The RF element 110 maythen send the process data, which forms an RF signal (e.g., analogue),to the amplifier 115 at operation 130. The amplifier 115, which may beoptional, depending on the specific implementation of the communicationdevice 100 (e.g., as a portable unit, a repeater, or otherwise, as willbe described in greater detail below), may amplify the RF signal acrossits operational spectrum for the purposes of increasing power output andeffective maximum range for the radio. In one aspect, amplifier 115 maybe particularly useful in a repeater implementation, as will bedescribed in greater detail below. One or more antennas or similarradiating structures 120 may transmit the RF signal. However, astechnology is improved, it may be possible to achieve desired resultswithout the need of a separate amplifier 115. The amplifier 115 may beintegrated into the RF element 110 of the design to simplify complexityand limit interconnects.

The communication device 100 may receive and process data in a similar,but reverse order. This may include receiving data via antennas 120,amplifying and/or filtering the RF signal at operation 135, processingthe RF signal by the RF element 110, and providing waveform information(e.g., data) to the computing element 105, at operation 140.

In some aspects, communication device 100 may implement channel orcarrier aggregation to increase bandwidth and/or throughput in thecommunication of data. In some cases, the channel aggregation mayinclude transmitting data over multiple adjacent channels or multiplenon-contiguous channels. In some examples, channel aggregation may beparticularly useful when the communication device 100 communicates dataover ultra-narrowband channels, as the amount of data that can betransmitted/received over 5 kHz may otherwise limit the types of datathat can be communicated over such channels. By combining multipleultra-narrowband channels, either adjacent or non-contiguous, more datamay effectively be communicated. In some aspects, RF element 110 mayinclude multiple RF transceivers to enable channel aggregation, forexample, particularly in the non-contiguous channel examples. In yetsome other examples, communication device 100 may implement multipleinput multiple output (MIMO) techniques and/or other techniques known toin the wireless communication space to increase throughput and/orbandwidth, reduce interference, etc.

In some cases, the communication device 100 may be configured tocommunicate through more than one communication protocol, such asutilizing 3G, LTE, Bluetooth, or other wired or wireless communicationlinks to enhance or compliment the primary communication of data.

In one example, the computing element 105, RF element 110, amplifier115, and/or antenna(s) 120) may be selected and/configured tocommunicate data over one or more ultra-narrowband channels (e.g., 5KHz) in frequency range of 220-222 MHz. In this scenario, the computingelement 105 and RF element 110 may be configured to implement ACSBmodulation, to more effectively communicate data in such a narrowfrequency bandwidth. In other cases, one or more elements ofcommunication device 100 may be selected and/or configured to processand communicate data within a greater range of frequencies and differentchannel allocations, different bandwidths, etc. A benefit of theconfiguration of communication device 100 is the ability to selectivelychange or adapt the channels, bandwidth, modulation, etc., of data to becommunicated based on one or more factors, including, for example,environmental considerations, signal propagation considerations, nearbycommunications devices, intended recipient devices, availablecommunication networks, and so on.

In some cases, antenna(s) 120 may be selected according to the desiredfrequency range of use of the communication device 100. For example,antenna choice can either broaden the potential spectrum availability ornarrow it depending on application. Certain antennas can be selectedthat will allow coverage over the entire area of potential operation,such as 70 Mhz 1.4 Ghz, 70 MHz-6 GHz, etc., or antennas can be tuned forspecific frequency of interest 220-220 Mhz. Antenna choice may impactthe output parameters of the system, but may not significantly impactthe operation of the computing element 105 or RF element 110.

Various types of antennas may be paired with the computing element 105,RF element 10, and/or amplifier 115, such as modified PIFA, planarmeander line, folded loop, modified dipole, monopole, and so on. In oneaspect, a fractal antenna may be used. A fractal antenna is an antennathat uses a fractal or self-similar design to maximize the length, orincrease the perimeter of material that can receive or transmitelectromagnetic radiation within a given total surface area or volume.As such, fractal antennas may provide good performance over a widerrange of frequencies. Fractal antennas may be very compact, multiband orwideband. For these reasons, pairing one or more fractal antennas with asoftware defined radio may provide a large range of adjustability withgood performance.

In one aspect, the communication device may further implement or includecognitive radio or the functionality thereof. A cognitive radio is anintelligent radio that can be programmed and configured dynamically. Thetransceiver in a cognitive radio device (e.g., RF element 110 and/orantennas 120) may be designed to use the best wireless channels in itsvicinity. Such a radio may automatically detect available channels inwireless spectrum. Based on the detection, transmission or receptionparameters of the radio may be modified to allow more concurrentwireless communications in a given spectrum band at one location. Inthis aspect, the communication device 100 may search for the bestavailable spectrum, and adapt it communication parameters to utilize thebest available spectrum (e.g., frequency channel and bandwidth.

Cognitive radio capability may be achieved through the use of softwaredefined radio architecture. A cognitive radio is a radio capable oflistening to the RF traffic and determining which network to utilize tobest meet the users needs. For example, if a user with a cognitive radioneeds to communicate, they would turn on the radio. After the radio isswitched on it would scan all available frequencies or frequencieswithin a selected range, for a potential connection. Once a potentialconnection is found, the radio would then negotiate access to thenetwork with a repeater or begin point-to-point communications withthose on a non-repeater capable network. The concept of self-tuning andnegotiating stabile links is at the forefront of cognitive radiofunctionality. Since a cognitive radio is one that measures the RFactivity of radio networks around it and optimizes performance to thosecharacteristics, it is important that a cognitive radio be very flexiblein its ability to measure and tune to all available and approvedfrequencies while supporting a wide format of modulation schemes.Traditionally cognitive radios utilize an array of pre-programmed knownspectrum and modulation formats. In this instance cognitive radiocapabilities will be combined with those found in software defined radioformats, which will allow greater spectrum coverage and a more flexiblearray of modulation schemes in an effort to further a cognitive radio'scapabilities. Cognitive radios may also be able to support a wide arrayof network topologies including but not limited to point-to-point, huband spoke, IP, and mesh network depending on what is available. Beyondcommunicating with available formats, a cognitive radio is also aware ofthe noise present on each band and therefore can tune its performance toincorporate bands that can facilitate a connection best suited for theusers usage and bandwidth needs. This allows the user to connect to thebest communication formats available given noise and spectrumsaturation.

In some cases, the computing element 105 and/or the RF element 110 maybe configured to scan available bands within a certain frequency range,such as 70 Mhz to 6 GHz, 70 MHz to 8 GHz, or any other range. When anavailable radio communication format is found active, the computingelement 105 may then compare the active signal against onboard or remotedatabases, and known modulation schemes to decode portions of the datareceived in an effort to determine who the host is and how toappropriately establish communication. Once the spectrum and modulationare determined, the radio may then attempt communication with the radioor radios on the determined spectrum. Additionally, modulation learningand frequency sweeping techniques can be utilized to provide a learningcapability to cognitive radios that will allow the use of radio networksnot in the database. This functionality may be administrated viaestablished rules in association with the US FCC and the US Departmentof Defense in an effort to avoid unauthorized personnel from accessingadvanced learning features or accessing spectrum that the user is notauthorized to access.

In one aspect, a full cognitive radio or the functionality thereof maybe utilized, whereby the full cognitive radio takes into account allparameters that a wireless node or network is capable of being aware ofIn other cases, a spectrum cognitive radio may be utilized, in which afrequency spectrum may be defined, and only channels within thatspectrum may be scanned.

It should be appreciated that traditional radios can be utilized toachieve similar results in transmission and reception of radioremissions as described above; however these radios are limited to thespecific bandwidth for which they are designed. Additionally,traditional radios typically cannot be used to create solutionsincluding a cognitive radio, as traditional radios lack the ability tochange their tuning characteristics across a wide band area.

The communication device 100, as described herein, may assume a numberof different configurations, with each including the basic elementsdescribed above, and/or other additional elements.

In one aspect, the communication device 100 may assume a handheld mobileconfiguration or individual radio unit (IRU), for example, having asmall form factor (e.g., casing or housing, power source, etc.) forpersonal use. An IRU can be thought of as an endpoint of thecommunications network, and may be the largest producer and consumer ofdata, messages, PTT voice and other information exchanges (collectivelyreferred to as “data”) upon the network. An IRU may encode, modulate andtransmit data that is produced locally, either by the radio itself, theradio operator, or by data-connected equipment nearby, in order to makethat data available elsewhere. IRUs also receive, demodulate, and decodedata generated elsewhere for use locally. This can mean the data is usedby the IRU itself, by a voice PTT user listening to it, bydata-connected computing equipment, or other means of data consumption.

The IRU or mobile radio may be the size of current smart phone devices,or may be smaller or larger depending on a variety of factors,including, for example, screen/interface to configure the radio, powerusage requirements, range of the radio, and the like. The mobile radioconfiguration may support other communication protocols (e.g., LTE,Bluetooth, etc.), may be able to connect to the internet, may provide auser interface for configuring and using the radio, may implement atouch screen, a keyboard or partial keyboard and the like to accessingthe user interface, etc.

In some applications, IRUs have the requirement of being able totransmit at, but not above, an output power of 5 W. This is imposed byFCC regulations and cannot be easily circumvented. IRUs can perform amajority of communications using one transmit and receive pair (e.g., 2channels), and while some end unit IRUs may have more than that, theyare typically not specified to require it.

In some aspects, the communication device 100 may assume a smart deviceaccessory configuration, which may be configured to connect to othercomputing devices, such as smart phones, tablets, etc., to utilizefeatures of these other devices. In one example, the smart deviceaccessory may connect to a proximate smart device (e.g., via Bluetoothor other communication protocol) and utilize the smart device to providea user interface via an application running on the smart device toconfigure or adjust the smart device accessory. In another example, thesmart device accessory may link up to a headset, for example, viaBluetooth. In this configuration, the radio becomes an extension of thesmart device in that it allows the device to directly access data andvoice networks via the radio which extends the communications capabilityof the smart device beyond traditional cell phone and WiFi options.

In another aspect, the communication device 100 may assume a mobileservice unit configuration, for example, designed to be installed intovehicles to provide communication to fixed facilities as well aspoint-to-point communications between like radios or communicationsdevices.

In one aspect, the communication device may be implemented as a repeateror radio repeater unit (RPT), for connecting mobile radios together viarebroadcasting signals received from devices that may otherwise beoutside of communication range with each other. The repeaterimplementation may be a fixed installation, for example, designed forspectrum owners and operators to service their local area from a toweror fixed facility. These installations can establish a largecommunications coverage area for multiple mobile type radios orcommunication devices. In other cases, the repeaters may be mobile, suchas having smaller power sources and potentially less range. Mobilerepeaters may be utilized in rural areas, for example, and moveddepending on the needs of the data to be relayed.

An RPT may be installed in a remote equipment housing of some kind, suchas a radio room, a shed, a bunker or environmentally-ruggedized cabinet.These can be in relocatable temporary installations, or more-commonly,in fixed permanent (infrastructure) locations. The RPTs are essentiallythe central hubs of the communications network. In most cases, IRUscommunicate through a RTP in the following way. RPTs may receive datagenerated elsewhere, but may not demodulate or decode the data for localuse. An RPT's primary function is to echo the received data back out tothe network, usually at a much higher power level, on the same or adifferent frequency that it was received upon. A repeater may notproduce or generate its own data locally. Data transmitted by the RPTtypically will be generated elsewhere, received on one of several inputchannels and is merely being echoed for other IRUs or data recipients toreceive, demodulate, decode, and use.

RPTs may have some one or more increased operational characteristicsthat may require larger, heavier units than IRUs. For example, therepeater may be larger due, at least in part, to a larger receiveramplifier and a transmit amplifier that can be in the range of hundredsof Watts. In addition to the more-powerful RF hardware, it may also needto be capable of monitoring, and sometimes processing, multiple channelsof data simultaneously. This can include the implementation of multipleTX/RX pairs in order to fulfill such requirements. It is thismulti-channel capability that makes the network functional on themacro-scale. In some cases, multiple TX/RX pairs may be implemented by amore complex transceiver or RF element 110 or by additional hardware. Insome aspects, each repeater may maintain a database for regulardata-logging, for example, to remember previous connectionconfigurations, routing information, and the like. In some cases, thedatabase or memory may be used to support billing and debuggingoperations.

In some aspects, the computing element 105 may be hosted over the cloudin certain circumstances, such as where many repeaters are connected toeach other via the internet. In this model, the connected repeaters mayshare information collected from each repeater's coverage area. Thisinformation can then be compiled to provide a result that allows each tooperate in a cognitive manner with surrounding spectrum for maximumspectral bandwidth efficiency and utilization. In other aspects, thecomputing element 105 may be otherwise located off board from the othercomponents of the communication device 100 (e.g., such as in a bladeserver and the like), but still proximate to or co-located with and inwired or wireless communication with the remaining componentscommunication device 100.

Referring now to FIG. 2A, in some embodiments, communication device 200utilizes a software defined radio to communicate over various selectablechannels having various bandwidths. In some aspects, communicationdevice 200 may include one or more aspects of communication device 100described above in reference to FIG. 1. Communication device 200 mayinclude a processing module 205 that may execute instructions stored inmemory 210. Processing module 205 may include the computing element 105and RF element 110 of communication device 100. Instructions 210 mayimplement a software defined radio, as described above. The processingmodule 205 may communicate with other devices 270 via RF amplifier 215,as also described above.

The processing module 205 may communicate with external interfacecircuitry 225, which may include serial 230, Ethernet 235, andaudio/Bluetooth, USB, or others (e.g., ADIO, HDMI) 240 interfaces. Theseinterfaces 230, 235, 240, which are optional, may communicate with otherexternal devices 270, via DB-9 cables 250, RJ-45 cables 255, USB 260, orwirelessly via, for example, a Bluetooth connection. It should beappreciated that other interfaces and/or connectors may be utilized andsupported by device 200, for example, according to specificimplementations. The processing module 205, the RF amplifier 215, andthe external interface circuitry 225 may be powered by an external powersource 245, which may be conditioned via power conditioning unit 220. Itmay be appreciated that a variety of different power sources 245 may beutilized, including portable, mobile, or fixed power sources.

In some aspects, the described software defined radio solutions may makeuse of SD card interfaces, as part of memory 210, to load and managesoftware on the radio device itself In other iterations this could bechanged to make use of onboard memory or be changed/enhanced to make useof USB memory sticks and other common forms of memory storage.

Referring now to FIG. 2B, a more specific example of a software definedradio 275 may include processing module 205 and/or memory 210. In someaspects, the software defined radio 275 may include one or more aspectsof computing element 105 and RF element 110 described above in referenceto FIG. 1. The software defined radio 275 may include a processing unit280, such as a Xilinx Zynq-7000 series Programmable System on Chip,which may host a Linux operating system 285 including modulation andother signal conditioning information 290, which may define variousprocessing required to implement various modulation schemes. Theprocessing unit 280 may interface with a transceiver device 295, such asan Analog Devices RF Agile Transceiver Analog Devices 93xx. Thetransceiver 295 may process and convert commands from the operationalsoftware into radio frequencies modulated, demodulated and controlled bythe operating software.

In implementations that utilize the ADI93xx device, additional softwaremay be implemented to tune and scale the ADI93xx card outside publishedoperating parameters, for example, to a 5 KHz bandwidth to use forultra-narrowband channels.

Referring now to FIG. 2C, example connections between the processingunit 280 and the transceiver 290 of FIG. 2B are represented. It shouldbe appreciated that FIG. 2C is only provided by way of explanation.Other hardware devices and different connections of such devices arecontemplated herein to build a communication device capable ofcommunicating over selectable frequencies using a software definedradio.

Other software defined radio solutions can be achieved through the useof other hardware. Example potential hardware components include EttusRadio, XetaWave, and GE MDS Software Defined radios. XetaWave and GEradios make use of a different architecture other than the AnalogDevices AD93xx series. This limits their performance envelope to sizesmuch lower than what is offered in the Analog Devices AD93xx parts. TheEttus radio lacks onboard processing module, and power amplification.These function play a role in achieving the design parameters of thesoftware defined radio described herein, so these alternative hardwarecomponents may require combination with additional hardware elements.

Referring now to FIG. 3 an example software block diagram 300illustrates a process that may be executed by computing element 105, RFelement 110, processing module 205, and/or software defined radio 275 asdescribed above to implement a software defined radio, and/or may bestored in memory 210. As described below, software or data structure 300may be implemented in a Linux environment. However, it should beappreciated that similar functionality may also be implemented via otheroperating systems, such as Windows, iOS, etc.

The software block diagram 300, which can be implemented by the PicoZedSystem On Module (SOM), includes four distinct software levels or“layers”. Listed from the bottom up, the layers include the Kernel LevelKernel Layer, 335 the Device Driver Layer 340, the ApplicationProgramming Interface (API) Layer 345, and finally, the ApplicationLayer 350.

The Kernel layer 335, which may include a Linux Kernel 305, contains theoperating system and provides the lowest-level abstractions of thephysical hardware devices. The Kernel 305 provides the privileged accessto block and register-level functionality of the base hardware.

The device driver level 340, which can include an RF device driver 315and may include other device driver(s) 310, provides device-levelabstractions that are particular to the specific devices they service.The device drivers 315, 310 expose the operations and data of a specificdevice to the upper software layers as well as maintain device stateinformation for both internal, and upper-layer use.

The third layer is the Application Programming Interface (API) layer345, which includes a Radio API 320, provides some higher-levelabstractions to various lower-level drivers and system-level(Kernel-level) resources, but is logically-grouped in a manner that isconvenient for a given application. The API level 345 presents anorganized grouping of functionality for a given purpose to theApplication Layer 350 so that the application logic does not have to beconvoluted by the lower-level device and I/O code.

Finally, there is the Application Layer 350, which may include a hosteduser application 325 and a radio application 330. The application layer350 contains the high-level organization, business logic, runtimeparameters, data structures and user I/O of the top-level program. It isthis top-level program that manages the sequence of events that make upthe desired operation of the software.

The software block diagram 300 defines a software application that canfollow an open cascade architecture where each layer can make functioncalls into, and receive data & return values from, any of the layersbeneath it. It is not necessary, for example, for the radio application330 to make function calls into the API 320 in order to access SystemFunctions within the Kernel 305. The application 320 can call thesefunctions directly.

The software structure 300 provides modularity in the different softwarelayers, which allows software to be independently developed and updatedbased on customer needs without the need of an entire system update.This modularity may enable the development of additional software andfunctionality that may be added and integrated to the existing softwarewith little modification to the rest of the system, with reduced risk ofdebilitation at time of update, or both. The software structure 300,while not enforcing a strict interface to the application layer, alsoprovides the benefit of keeping function call overhead to a minimum,especially in high-repetition, processing-intensive environments such aswireless communications.

Referring now to FIG. 4, in some embodiments, a communication system 400includes a communication device or software defined radio 405 and avariety of other devices. The communication device 405 may be an exampleof any of communication devices 100, 200, and/or implement one or moreaspects of the software defined radio 275, as described above.Communication device 405 is an example of a radio that is configured tobe a mobile radio and/or an accessory device to another device, such asa smart 415 phone, tablet 410, microcontroller 420, or other computingdevice 425, 430. Near field communications interfaces such as Bluetooth,Wifi, USB, Ultra Wide Band, and other wire/wireless formats 435, 440,445, 450, 455 may be used to connect communication device 405 to otherdevices 410, 415, 420, 425, 430 in an effort to extend communicationcapabilities to beyond just those formats available within the otherdevices hardware capabilities. Unpublished proprietary type formats maybe adopted as required via the radio's software-defined capabilities.

In some aspects, communication device 405 may link with other devices410, 415, 420, 425, 430 to utilize the capabilities of the other device.This may include providing a graphical user interface via the otherdevice for control, configuration, access, etc., to the communicationdevice 405. In some aspects, communication device 405 may utilizecommunication capabilities of the linked device 410, 415, 420, 425, 430to send data via another communication channel, for example, when thecommunication device 405 is out of communication range of the intendedrecipient.

In some aspects, communication device 405 may link with another device410, 415, 420, 425, 430 to utilize other resources of the other device,such as processing power, memory, other device interfaces, and so on. Inone example, communication device 405 may be placed near an existingrepeater device or computing device that does not support communicationover a desired frequency spectrum, such as 220-222 MHZ. In supervisorycontrol and data acquisition (SCADA) applications, for example, thecommunication device 405 may interface with the existing device toobtain desired information, such as equipment measurements,environmental measurements or other data to be collected by the existingdevice (either directly or indirectly, in the example of a repeaterdevice or control station that collects information from remotesensors). The communication device may then relay the obtainedinformation using the 220-222 MHZ spectrum, such as over one or moreultra-narrowband channels, to relay the data using a repeater networkand/or the internet, to an intended recipient. In this way, thedescribed adjustable software defined radio technology may be used toenhance existing technologies.

In another example, a communication device 405 may be used to gatherinformation from an existing legacy communication network, such as oneoperating on the 220-222 MHZ spectrum. The communication device 405 maythen relay that information to a repeater, which may send theinformation to an intended recipient via an internet backhaul. Variousnetwork structures in which the described adjustable software definedradio may be implemented will be described in greater detail below inreference to FIGS. 7A-7I.

In yet another example, communication device 405 may interface withanother device 410, 415, 420, 425, 430 to utilize the processing andmemory capabilities of the other device, such as done by the Ettusradio. In some cases, such as where voice is transmitted usingultra-narrowband channels, trunking data may be processed by the otherlinked device. In yet some examples, the communication device 405 mayget updates to software via linking to another device 410, 415, 420,425, 430.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an example process 500 of acquiring andconditioning the input data, in this case, audio input, is illustrated.This can be audio from a microphone, a file, an auxiliary input, or anyother data that can be represented/approximated as a stream of rationalnumerical values, and may be received at operation 505. This data thenmoves into block 510 where it is modulated, and then, in this case,compressed to the desired bandwidth allocation at block 515. Theoperations of blocks 510 and 515 are, in some cases, software-selectableby the user at run-time allowing not only for various modulation schemesat different locations within the radio spectrum, but also variousbandwidth allocation within that spectrum. Next, block 520 provides forthe conversion from complex numeric values, which are the product of themodulation process, to the paired Real & Imaginary i and q componentsthat are native to the radio hardware. The radio transceiver hardwaremay then accept these converted values for broadcast, at block 525.

FIG. 6A-6C is a diagram of an example frequency spectrum in which thecommunication device of FIG. 2A may operate.

Referring now to FIG. 6A, example frequency spectrum 600 a includesthree channels FC1, FC2, FC3. Each channel may occupy a certainbandwidth, indicated via 605, and be separated from other channels bychannel separation 610, each defined in terms of frequency. In betweeneach channel, a guard band 615 may be provided in which no data iscommunicated, to, for example, minimize interference between differentchannels. 620 may represent the frequencies by which a communicationdevice will allow to pass through a band pass filter in order to receivedata communicated via the channel's bandwidth 605.

Referring now to FIG. 6B an example of an ultra-narrowband frequencychannel 600 b is shown, which may be an example of one of channels FC1,FC2, FC3, as described above in reference to FIG. 6A. The operationalband 630, which in this example is 4 KHz, may contain the data to becommunicated across the channel. The operational band 630 may have, oneither side, guard bands 625, 635, which in this example are 500 Hz. Theguard bands may further help to reduce interference, distortion of thedata, or both, contained within operational band 630 due to nearbycommunication channels. As described above, an adjustable softwaredefined radio may be configured to transmit data within the operationalband 630 of an ultra-narrow channel 600 b. In these scenarios, the datamay be modulated according to ACSB techniques, which have been describedelsewhere.

Referring now to FIG. 6C, a diagram 600 c illustrates characteristics ofthe upper 700 MHZ frequency spectrum of a given network. The 700 MHzband has two 1 MHz stop bands at 757 MHz and 787 MHz. The FCC has made aruling that states stop bands may be used as public band space as longas the elements transmitting in the stop band to not interfere withsurrounding transmissions. Given a theoretical stop band of 1 MHz sizeat 757 MHz, 1 MHz=1000 kHz, and 1000 kHz divided by 6.25 kHz (the sizeof a single narrowband channel including guard bands)=160 differentchannels. That same calculation performed for 5 kHz channels=200channels. Therefore, it can be deduced that a network of 160ultra-narrowband channels can fit within the currently unused guard bandin the 700 MHz spectrum. If this is taken one step further, there is asecond guard band at 787 MHz which could also be utilized providing atotal of 320 ultra-narrowband channels. This illustrates an example ofhow ultra-narrowband communications can be utilized in guard bands tomake use of underutilized spectrum. These guard bands exist throughoutall spectrum administrated by FCC and other organizations. Furthermore,the bandwidth of a single channel can be increased where 5 kHz does notoffer enough bandwidth for the intended application. Thisconfigurability allows for great flexibility in the defining of anetwork architecture as bandwidth can be configured to be uniform ormore uniform across a specific spectrum or offer high bandwidth and lowbandwidth channels based, for example, on the user needs.

FIGS. 7A-7H illustrate example network configurations in which thecommunication device of FIG. 2 may operate.

Referring now to FIG. 7A a point-to-point network 700 a is illustrated,including two radios or communications devices 705 a and 705 b in directcommunication with each other via transmit and received channels 710 and715. In some aspects, one or more of radios 705 a and 705 b may adjustthe frequency or channel 710, 715 at which they communicate with theother of the radios 705 a and 705 b and/or the bandwidth of thecommunication channel based on a number of factors, for example,utilizing a software defined radio, as described in more detail above.

Radios 705, and repeaters 720 as described in FIGS. 7A-7I, mayincorporate one or more aspects of communication devices 100, 200, orboth, and/or may implement the software defined radio 275, software 300,or both. In some aspects, each radio 705 may provide an interface forinputting one or more of frequency/channel parameters, bandwidthparameters modulation parameters, power parameters, and/or data schemafor point-to-point networking. In some aspects, radios 705 may supportSCADA text/data communications for point-to-point networking.

Referring now to FIG. 7B a fixed repeater network 700 b is illustratedin which two radios or communication devices 705 c and 705 d communicatethrough a repeater device 720 a. The repeater device 720 a may extendthe reach of traditional point to point networks. Repeaters 720 aretypically high power radios placed in strategic locations such as onhilltops or towers with the intent of extending the range ofcommunications beyond that which can typically be achieved with lowpower, point to point networks. Repeaters 720 are typically setup tosupport a variety of connections between and across different channelgroups and interested parties. As illustrated, radio 705 c may transmitand receive data over channels 725 a and 730 a. To reduce interference,radio 705 d may transmit and receive data on different channels 725 band 73 Ob.

In some aspects, each repeater 720 may provide an interface forinputting one or more of frequency/channel parameters, bandwidthparameters modulation parameters, power parameters, and/or data schemafor point-to-point networking. In some aspects, repeaters 720 maysupport SCADA text/data communications for repeater networking. In somecases, radios 705 may support repeater applications where signals aresent to the repeater 720 on one frequency and rebroadcast on anotherfrequency to the network.

Referring now to FIG. 7C a fixed repeater network 700 c is illustratedin which two radios or communication devices 705 e and 705 f communicatethrough a repeater device 720 b using the same transmit and receivefrequency channels 725 c and 730 c. In some cases, operation on the samefrequency for multiple devices 705 by the repeater 720 may beaccomplished via timing control methods known to those of skill in theart (e.g., TDMA), such as by delay transmission over two transmit orreceive channels by a configurable time period.

Referring now to FIG. 7D, a mesh network 700 d is illustrated includingmultiple radios 705. The mesh network 700 d may operate via each radiorelaying data for the network, for example, until it reaches itsintended recipient. Each radio 705 may cooperate with other radios 705to distribute data through the network 700 d, for example, via floodingof routing techniques.

Mesh networks can relay messages using either a flooding technique or arouting technique. With routing, the message is propagated along a pathby hopping from node to node until it reaches its destination. To ensureall its paths' availability, the network must allow for continuousconnections and must reconfigure itself around broken paths, usingself-healing algorithms such as Shortest Path Bridging. Self-healingallows a routing-based network to operate when a node breaks down orwhen a connection becomes unreliable. As a result, the network istypically reliable, as there is often more than one path between asource and a destination in the network. Although mostly used inwireless situations, this concept can also apply to wired networks andto software interaction.

A mesh network whose nodes are all connected to each other is a fullyconnected network. Fully connected wired networks have the advantages ofsecurity and reliability: problems in a single connection affect onlythe two nodes attached to it. However, in such networks, the number ofconnections and therefore the cost, goes up rapidly as the number ofnodes increases. Mesh networks can be considered a type of an ad-hocnetwork. Thus, mesh networks are closely related to mobile ad hocnetworks (MANETs), although MANETs also must deal with problemsintroduced by the mobility of the nodes.

Referring now to FIG. 7D, potential communication path between mobileradio 705 g and mobile radio 705 k is illustrated. Communications areachieved by utilizing mobile radios 705 h, 705 i, and 705 j to repeatthe traffic and extend the network to service a connection betweenmobile radios 705 g and 705 k. This network architecture is oftenreferred to as mesh network architecture.

Referring now to FIG. 7E, an example of a hybrid mesh network 700 e isillustrated. In some aspects, communication devices 705 and repeater 720c may support Hybrid Mesh Networking topologies. Hybrid mesh networkinginvolves the use of traditional repeater hub 720 c and spoke networksfor close area communication while utilizing point-to-point meshnetworks for surrounding areas not in the repeater coverage area 735.The hybrid mesh network takes full advantage of the repeater networkwhen radios 705 are within the repeater coverage 735. Radios 705 outsidethe repeater coverage area 735 are normally able to utilize one or moreother radios 705 to network and backhaul information. The result is astrong redundant network that is tolerant of outages while providingincreased communication efficiency through the use of traditionalrepeater networking and advanced mesh networking connection algorithms.

Referring now to FIG. 7F, a communication system 700 f is illustrated inwhich neither radios 705 l and 705 m or repeater 720 d utilizebeamforming (e.g., represented by broadcast lines extended from eachdevice in all directions). In some aspects, the software defined radio,such as radio 705, may be capable of utilizing beamforming.

Beamforming or spatial filtering is a signal processing technique usedin sensor arrays for directional signal transmission or reception. Thisis achieved by combining elements in a phased array in such a way thatsignals at particular angles experience constructive interference whileothers experience destructive interference. Beamforming can be used atboth the transmitting and receiving ends in order to achieve spatialselectivity. The improvement compared with omnidirectionalreception/transmission is known as the directivity of the element.

A typical non-beamforming network is illustrated in FIG. 7F. In thisnetwork radio waves are sent with no directionality in an effort to geta uniform beam. While this method offers uniform transmission areas itbroadcasts power to both areas that require it, as well as areas thathave no radio endpoints. As a result, power is sometimes expended tosend radio waves to areas where there are no endpoints to decode or makeuse of them.

Referring now to FIG. 7G, a communications network 700 g is illustratedin which radios 705 n and 705 o utilize beamforming. In a mobilebeamforming network, the mobile radios 705 n and 705 o have thecapability to utilize beam-forming in an effort to conserve power andmaximize transmission distances. In this network, the mobile radios 705n and 705 o focus their power in the direction of the repeater 720 e viatransmit channels 725 d and 725 e. This can allow for a more efficientuse of power and can lengthens transmission distances through the use offocused power. A side effect of this is lower spectral noise as themobile radios 705 n and 705 o transmit only in the direction of therepeater.

Referring now to FIG. 7H a communications network 700 h is illustratedin which radios ‘705 p and 705 q and repeater 720 f both utilizebeamforming. In a mobile and fixed beamforming network, all radiatingelements including both repeater 720 f and mobile radios 705 p and 705 qmake use of beamforming via transmit and receive channels 725 f, 725 gand 730 d, 730 e, to maximize power output and spectrum usage. In thisnetwork, all radiated emissions are directed towards their intendedrecipient. A side effect of this type of network is enhanced security.This is due to the need for someone to be within the beam path tointercept communications, which adds additional level of variabilityincreasing the difficulty of intercept.

Referring now to FIG. 7I a communications network 700 i is illustratedin which radios 705 and repeater 720, with the optional addition of acommunication server 740, implement a large area network (e.g., anation-wide network). As illustrated, six different repeaters 720, eachhaving a separate coverage area 750 a, 750 b, 750 c, 750 d, 750 e, 750f, may communicate with various radios 705 that may otherwise be out ofcommunication range to communicate directly with each other. In somecases, each repeater 720 may communicate with other repeaters 720 viaanother communication link, such as an internet backhaul 745. Therepeaters 720 may form a network and may perform routing functions andother such functions collectively. In some cases, the system ofrepeaters 720 may store prior connection information, may associatecertain radios 705 with certain coverage areas 750/certain repeaters720, and so on. By utilizing a backhaul 745, transmissions on onenetwork can be sent to another network in a different areas, such asgeographical areas. allowing for nationwide coverage throughinterconnect of repeaters 720.

In some aspects, one or more communication servers 740, or othercomputing devices, such as cloud resources, may be implemented to aid inmanaging the network 700 i. The communication server or servers 740 mayimplement management functions across the network 700 i, such asmanaging connection information, coverage area information routinginformation, and the like.

Referring now to FIG. 8 example process 800 for adjusting at least oneoperational parameter for communicating with another device by asoftware defined radio is illustrated. Process 800 may be implemented byany of communication devices 100, 200, and/or 705, and/or may implementa software defined radio 275 and/or software 300.

Process 800 may begin with operation 805, in which at least one of abandwidth, center frequency of transmit or receive channel(s), poweroutput, filter parameters, or modulation parameters for communicatingdata may be determined. In some aspects, operation 805 may be performedbased on one or more of user input, a selection of data to becommunicated, a recipient device, available network resources, availablespectrum, and/or a number of other factors. In some cases, the filterparameters or characteristics may include the number of poles of thefiler, notches, etc.

Next, at operation 810, at least one communication channel over which tocommunicate data may be determined/selected. In some cases, operation810 may include determining both a transmit and a receive channel. Insome cases, operation 810 may include selecting from a set of known ordetermined available channels, based on the one or more parametersrelieved or determined at operation 805. In some cases, best fit,approximation techniques, and or machine learning may be used to selectthe one or more channels.

Next, at operation 815, the software defined radio of the communicationdevice implementing process 800 may be adjusted for the selected one ormore channels and/or parameters. Operation 815 may include adjustingfilter parameters, modulation definitions or parameters, adjusting thedata to be communicated over a specified bandwidth, etc.

Next, at operation 820, the data may be transmitted and/or receivedacross the selected one or more channels, according to, at least inpart, the determined one or more parameters.

Referring now to FIG. 9 another example process 900 for adjusting atleast one operational parameter for communicating with another device bya software defined radio is illustrated. Process 900 may be implementedby any of communication devices 100, 200, and/or 705, and/or mayimplement a software defined radio 275 and/or software 300. Process 900may be implemented by a communication device configured to communicateover ultra-narrowband channels, for example, in a network operating inthe 220 MHz to 222 MHz spectrum.

Process 900 may begin at operation 905, in which an adjustable softwaredefined radio communication device may receive a channel allocation or alist of available channels from a proximate repeater device, such as arepeater 720. In some cases, one or more repeater devices in a network,such as any of networks 700, may constantly or periodically broadcastchannel assignments or allocations. In other cases, once an adjustablesoftware defined radio communication device is within range of arepeater device, it may automatically request a channel allocation froma repeater device or base station.

In some aspects, where the communication device receives a list ofavailable channels, one or more channels may be selected or determinedat operation 910. In some cases, operation 910 may include determiningboth a transmit and a receive channel. In some aspects, operation 910may include selecting a channel or channels with the least interference,or based on other performance-type metrics.

Next, at operation 915, the software defined radio of the communicationdevice may be adjusted for the selected one or more channels. In someaspects, operation 915 may include processing the data for transmission,and applying ACSB modulation to the data, adding trunking data as neededfor data containing voice or audio information, etc.

Next, at operation 920, the data may be transmitted and/or receivedacross the selected one or more channels.

Referring now to FIG. 10, another example process 1000 for adjusting atleast one communication parameter for communicating data with anotherdevice by a software defined radio is illustrated. Process 1000 may beimplemented by any of communication devices 100, 200, and/or 705, and/ormay implement a software defined radio 275 and/or software 300. Process1000 may be implemented by an adjustable software defined radiocommunication device also enabled with cognitive radio functionality.

Operations 1005, 1010, 1015, and 1020 may be similar to operations 805,810, 815, and 820 described above in reference to FIG. 8, and for thesake of brevity will not be described again here. After operation 1020,process 1000 may proceed to optional operation 1025, in which it may bedetermined if an indication of a new channel has been received.Operation 1025 may include determining if a new channel allocation hasbeen received by the communication device, or may include determining ifthe current channel is no longer viable. If the determination atoperation 1025 is positive, then the software defined radio may beadjusted to accommodate the new channel or channels at operation 1030,and data may be transmitted and/or received over the new at least onechannel at operation 1045. If the determination at operation 1025 isnegative, process 1000 may proceed to operation 1035.

At operation 1035, it may be determined if a channel with betterperformance metrics (e.g., less interference), has been identified.Operation 1035 may include scanning for channels within an identified orsupport spectrum for better performance, greater bandwidth, support fora preferred modulation scheme, and so on. If the determination atoperation 1035 is positive, then the software defined radio may beadjusted to accommodate the identified channel or channels, at operation1030, data may be sent and/or received over the new at least one channelat operation 1045. In this way, the communication device may adapt itstransmission and/or reception parameters to utilize the best availablechannels for communication.

If the determination at operation 1035 is negative, then process 1000may proceed to operation 1040, where data may be transmitted and/orreceived over the prior determined channel or channels.

In some aspects, one or more of operations 1025-1045 may be performedconstantly while transmitting data, periodically, at set time intervals,or when communication quality goes below a threshold amount, forexample. It should be appreciated that in some cases, the trigger eventfor initiating operation 1025 and/or 1035 may be configurable. In somecases, operation 1025 may be performed upon receiving an indication of afailed communication or from a repeater station.

Referring now to FIG. 11, an example process for routing data in acommunication network is illustrated. Process 1100 may be implemented byany of communication devices 100, 200, and/or 705, repeater device 720,and/or may implement a software defined radio 275 and/or software 300.

Process 1100 may begin at operation 1105, in which data from acommunication device may be relieved via a first communication protocol.In some examples, the first communication protocol may be over one ormore ultra-narrowband channels (e.g., 5 kHz), within the 220 to 222 MHzspectrum. In some aspects, a repeater device, such as repeater 720 mayperform one or more aspects of process 1100.

Next, at operation 1110, it may be determined if the intended recipientis outside of communication range using the first communicationprotocol. If the determination at operation 1110 is negative, then thedata may be transmitted to the intended recipient. In some cases, thedata may be transmitted using a different frequency than the frequencyor channel that the data was received over. In other cases, the data maybe re-transmitted on the same frequency.

If the determination at operation 1110 is positive, then process 1100may proceed to operation 1115, wherein a second repeater device that iswithin communication range of the intended recipient using the firstcommunication protocol may be determined. Operation 1115 may includeaccessing a database or directory, for example, maintained by thenetwork, of the last known location/repeater device within range of theintended recipient. The database or directory may be maintained by therepeater device itself, or be a database updated by various devices,accessible via the cloud. In some aspects, operation 1115 may includecommunicating with a server or servers that are tasked with maintainingthe network.

Next at operation 1120, the data may be relayed to the second repeaterdevice using a second communication protocol with instructions to sendto the intended recipient. In some aspects, the second communicationprotocol may include the internet, over which repeater devices in anetwork are connected.

Each of the processes, methods and algorithms described in the precedingsections may be embodied in, and fully or partially automated by,instructions, such as those embodied in code modules, and executed byone or more computers or computer processors. The code modulescontaining instructions may be stored on any type of non-transitorycomputer-readable medium or computer storage device, such as harddrives, solid state memory, optical disc and/or the like. The processesand algorithms may be implemented partially or wholly inapplication-specific circuitry. The results of the disclosed processesand process steps may be stored, persistently or otherwise, in any typeof non-transitory computer storage such as, e.g., volatile ornon-volatile storage. The various features and processes described abovemay be used independently of one another, or may be combined in variousways. All possible combinations and sub-combinations are intended tofall within the scope of this disclosure. In addition, certain methodsor process blocks may be omitted in some implementations. The methodsand processes described herein are also not limited to any particularsequence, and the blocks or states relating thereto can be performed inother sequences that are appropriate. For example, described blocks orstates may be performed in an order other than that specificallydisclosed, or multiple blocks or states may be combined in a singleblock or state. The example blocks or states may be performed in serial,in parallel or in some other manner. Blocks or states may be added to orremoved from the disclosed example embodiments. The example systems andcomponents described herein may be configured differently thandescribed. For example, elements may be added to, removed from orrearranged compared to the disclosed example embodiments.

It will also be appreciated that various items are illustrated as beingstored in memory or on storage while being used, and that these items orportions thereof may be transferred between memory and other storagedevices for purposes of memory management and data integrity.Alternatively, in other embodiments, some or all of the software modulesand/or systems may execute in memory on another device and communicatewith the illustrated computing systems via inter-computer communication.Furthermore, in some embodiments, some or all of the systems and/ormodules may be implemented or provided in other ways, such as at leastpartially in firmware and/or hardware, including, but not limited to,one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), standardintegrated circuits, controllers (e.g., by executing appropriateinstructions, and including microcontrollers and/or embeddedcontrollers), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), complexprogrammable logic devices (CPLDs), etc. Some or all of the modules,systems and data structures may also be stored (e.g., as softwareinstructions or structured data) on a computer-readable medium, such asa hard disk, a memory, a network or a portable media article to be readby an appropriate drive or via an appropriate connection. The systems,modules and data structures may also be transmitted as generated datasignals (e.g., as part of a carrier wave or other analog or digitalpropagated signal) on a variety of computer-readable transmission media,including wireless-based and wired/cable-based media, and may take avariety of forms (e.g., as part of a single or multiplexed analogsignal, or as multiple discrete digital packets or frames). Suchcomputer program products may also take other forms in otherembodiments. Accordingly, the present disclosure may be practiced withother computer system configurations.

A processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, theprocessor can be any conventional processor, controller,microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also be implementedas a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP anda microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or moremicroprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration.

Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,”“might,” “may,” “e.g.” and the like, unless specifically statedotherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, isgenerally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, whileother embodiments do not include, certain features, elements, and/orsteps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended toimply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required forone or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarilyinclude logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting,whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to beperformed in any particular embodiment. The terms “comprising,”“including,” “having” and the like are synonymous and are usedinclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additionalelements, features, acts, operations and so forth. Also, the term “or”is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so thatwhen used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term “or”means one, some or all of the elements in the list. Unless otherwisenoted, the terms “a” or “an,” as used in the specification are to beconstrued as meaning “at least one of.”

While certain example embodiments have been described, these embodimentshave been presented by way of example only and are not intended to limitthe scope of the disclosure. Thus, nothing in the foregoing descriptionis intended to imply that any particular feature, characteristic, step,module or block is necessary or indispensable. Indeed, the novel methodsand systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of otherforms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in theform of the methods and systems described herein may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the disclosure. The accompanying claims andtheir equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications aswould fall within the scope and spirit of certain of the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A communication device, comprising: a radiofrequency (RF) element; and a computing element communicatively coupledto the RF element, the computing element defining a software definedradio, wherein the computing element comprises: at least one processor;and memory storing executable instructions, that when executed by the atleast one processor, configure the communication device to: select atleast two different narrowband or ultra-narrowband channels fortransmitting or receiving data; select and configure, from plurality ofoptions, at least two of modulation or demodulation, companding, mixing,and filtering for communicating signals through programmable logic; andat least one of transmit or receive data over the at least two differentnarrowband ultra-narrowband channels using a first communicationprotocol, wherein the software defined radio is adjustable to operate atany of a variety of different narrowband or ultra-narrowband channelsresponsive to a frequency band selection, and wherein the softwaredefined radio is adjustable to operate at the selected at least two ofmodulation or demodulation, companding, mixing, and filtering.
 2. Thecommunication device of claim 1, wherein the at least two channelsfurther comprise a plurality of channels, and wherein the instructions,when executed by the at least one processor, further configure thecommunication device to: detect a portion of unused spectrum; and selectthe plurality of channels within the unused spectrum for transmitting orreceiving data.
 3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein thecommunication device comprises a repeater device.
 4. The communicationdevice of claim 1, wherein the RF element comprises a transceiver,wherein the transceiver is configured to: communicate via a secondcommunication protocol with a second communication device.
 5. Thecommunication device of claim 4, wherein the second communicationprotocol comprises at least one of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, UWB, or ZigBee, andwherein the second communication device comprises at least one of apersonal computing device, a laptop, a tablet, a smart phone, or avehicle computing system.
 6. The communication device of claim 4,wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor,further configure the communication device to: receive second data froma third device; and transmit the second data to a third device via thesecond communication protocol.
 7. The communication device of claim 1,wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor,further configure the communication device to: determine at least onesecond available narrowband or ultra-narrowband channel; and reconfigurethe software defined radio to operate at the at least second availablenarrowband or ultra-narrowband channel.
 8. The communication device ofclaim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least oneprocessor, further configure the communication device to: receive aselection of at least one second available narrowband orultra-narrowband channel; and reconfigure the software defined radio tooperate at the at least second available narrowband or ultra-narrowbandchannel.
 9. A communication system, comprising: a communication device,wherein the communication device is configured to communicate at leastone data packet over a first narrowband channel or a firstultra-narrowband channel; and at least one repeater device, wherein theat least one repeater device is configured to: receive the at least onedata packet over the first narrowband channel or ultra-narrow bandchannel from the communication device; select one of the firstultra-narrowband channel, a second narrowband channel, or a secondultra-narrowband channel; configure at least one of multiplefrequencies, modulation, demodulation, filtering, or amplification viasoftware of the repeater device to re-transmit the at least one datapacket to a second communication device over the selected channel; andretransmit the at least one data packet to the second communicationdevice over the selected channel.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein theat least one repeater device is configured to determine which of thefirst narrowband channel, the first ultra-narrowband channel, the secondnarrowband channel, or the second ultra-narrowband channel based on atleast one of a distance between the repeater device and the secondcommunication device or at least one transmission or receptioncondition.
 11. The system of claim 9, further comprising acommunications server configured to route the at least one data packetfrom the communication device to an intended recipient device throughthe at least one repeater device.
 12. The system of claim 11, whereinthe communications server is further configured to indicate to the atleast one repeater device an address of the second communication device.13. The system of claim 12, wherein the second communication devicecomprises a second repeater device, wherein the communications server isfurther configured to indicate to the second repeater device an addressof a third communication device.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein theat least one first repeater is configured to communicate the at leastone packet over a second communication protocol to the second repeaterdevice.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the communications serverinstructs the at least one first repeater device to communicate the atleast one packet over the second communication protocol to the secondrepeater device when the first communication protocol is unavailable orbelow a quality threshold.
 16. The system of claim 9, wherein at leastone data packet is communicated according to a first modulation protocolor a first trunking standard, and wherein the repeater device is furtherconfigured to: change at least one of the first modulation protocol orthe first trunking standard to at least one of a second modulationprotocol or a second trunking standard for retransmitting the at leastone data packet to the second communication device.
 17. The system ofclaim 9, wherein the communication device is associated with a firstnetwork supporting a first communication protocol, and the secondcommunication device is associated with a second network supporting asecond communication protocol.
 18. A non-transitory computer-readablemedium comprising instructions, that when executed by a processor of acommunication device, cause the communication device to performoperations of: obtaining at least one channel allocation forcommunicating data, wherein the at least one channel allocation isdetermined from a detected portion of unused spectrum; adjusting asoftware defined radio of the communication device to communicate overat least one channel corresponding to the at least one channelallocation by configuring at least one of a frequency of multiplefrequencies, modulation, demodulation, filtering, or amplification ofthe software defined radio via software; and transmitting data over theat least one channel via the adjusted software defined radio.
 19. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the atleast one channel allocation comprises a list of available channels, andwherein the instructions, when executed by the processor of thecommunication device, cause the communication device to performadditional operations of: determining the at least one channel overwhich to communicate data from the list of available channels.
 20. Thenon-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein theinstructions for obtaining the at least one channel allocation forcommunicating the data further comprises instructions for receiving theat least one channel allocation for communicating the data from arepeater device.